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THE  ANCIENT  ESTATE  OF 
GOVERNOR  WILLIAM 
BRADFORD 


By  Thomas  Bradford  Drew 


1897 


Thos.  P.  Smith  Printing  Co., 
Boston. 


THE   ANCIENT   ESTATE  OF 


GOVERNOR  WILLIAM  BRADFORD  AT 
JONES  RIVER  IN  THE  NORTH  PART 
OF  PLYMOUTH,  NOW  THE  TOWN  OF 
KINGSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS. 

g^^BN  the  eleventh  day  of  December  (old 


style),  1620,  the  exploring  party  of  pil- 


W^^^iM  grims  who  had  left  their  ship,  the 
"Mayflower,"  in  Cape  Cod  harbor,  landed  at 
Plymouth,  where  they  found  "a  place  (as  they 
supposed)  fitt  for  situation ;  at  least  it  was 
y«  best  they  could  find  and  y«  season  &  their 
presente  necessitie,  made  them  glad  to  ac- 
cepte  of  it.  So  they  returned  to  their  shippe 
again  with  this  news  to  y«  rest  of  their  peo- 
ple, which  did  much  comforte  their  harts."* 
Five  days  after,  Dec.  16,  the  '*  Mayflower  " 
left  her  mooring  at  Cape  Cod  and  reached 
Plymouth  Harbor  in  safety.  An  attempt  the 
day  previous  had  proved  unsuccessful. 

On  Monday,  the  i8th,  a  party,  probably 
the  same  explorers  of  whom  we  have  spoken, 
with  the  addition  of  Capt.  Jones  of  the  ship 
and  three  or  four  sailors,  went  on  land  and 
marched  along  the  shore  in  a  northwesterly 
direction  for  several  miles,  viewing  the  coun- 
try ;  but  it  was  not  until  the  next  day  that 
the  river  since  known  as  Jones  River  was  dis- 
covered.   The  account  of  that  discovery  was 


published 


,  *  Bradford's  Manuscript,  page  53. 


4 

published  in  A  Relation  or  Journal  of  the 
beginnings  and  proceedings  of  the  English 
Plantation  settled  at  Plymouth,  New  Eng- 
land" which  was  written  by  **the  actors  them- 
selves," and  is  as  follows: 

The  next  morning  being  Tuesday,  the  19. 
of  December,  wee  went  again  to  discover 
further ;  some  went  on  Land  and  some  in  the 
Shallop,  the  Land  we  found  as  the  former  day 
we  did,  and  we  found  a  Creeke,  and  went  vp 
three  English  myles,  a  very  pleasant  river,  at 
full  Sea  a  Barke  of  thirty  tunne  may  goe  up, 
but  at  low  water  scarce  our  Shallop  could 
passe ;  this  place  we  had  a  great  liking  to 
plant  in,  but  that  it  was  so  farre  from  our  fish- 
ing, our  principall  profit,  and  so  incompassed 
with  woods,  that  we  should  bee  in  much  danger 
of  the  Salvages,  and  our  number  being  so  little 
and  so  much  ground  to  cleare,  so  as  we  thought 
good  to  quit  and  cleare  that  place,  till  we  were 
of  more  strength  ;  some  of  vs  hauing  a  good 
mind  for  safety  to  plant  in  the  greater  He,"  *  etc. 

As  stated  by  themselves,  the  locality  by 
the  river  just  described  had  its  attractions  for 
them,  and  for  a  short  time  their  minds  seemed 
rather  unsettled  in  regard  to  the  best  place 
for  planting  their  colony,  notwithstanding  the 
selection  previously  made,  for  the  record  goes 
on  to  state  that  as  they  returned  again  for  the 
night  to  their  ship,  they  resolved  to  settle 

♦*on 

♦Clark's  Island  in  the  bay. 


5 

"on  some  of  those  places"  the  next  morning, 
which  they  did,  and  they  came  to  a  conclu- 
sion by  most  voices  to  set  on  the  main  land 
on  the  first  place,  on  a  high  ground,  etc. 
Thus  their  final  decision  was  not  made  until 
Wednesday,  Dec.  20,  or  Dec.  30  according  to 
the  new  style  of  reckoning  dates. 

As  William  Bradford  was  one  of  the  ex- 
ploring party  when  Jones  River  was  dis- 
covered, it  is  very  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
he  was  of  the  number  who  had  a  great  liking 
for  that  locality,  for  within  a  few  years  after 
the  settlement,  we  find  him  the  possessor  of 
quite  a  large  estate  there,  portions  of  which 
remained  in  the  family  name  for  more  than 
two  centuries,  and  within  the  memory  of  per- 
sons still  living.  It  does  not  appear  upon  the 
colonial  records  just  when  the  Governor  had 
the  grant  of  those  lands,  but  we  may  suppose 
it  was  as  early  as  1627-8,  when  the  second 
division  of  land  was  agreed  upon.*  We  know 
he  possessed  lands  there  before  1636,  for  it 
was  recorded  that  year,  "  whereas  there  is  re- 
ported to  be  certaine  wast  land  between  the 
lott  of  Stephen  Tracy  t  &  that  of  Liueten* 
Will  Holmes  at  the  request  of  Will  Brad- 
ford, such  land  was  granted  to  him  and  his 
heirs  forever,  having  other  lands  very  neere  & 

necessary 

*See  Plymouth  Colony  Records,  Vol.  XL,  p.  77,  Vol.  XII.,  p.  13,  and 

Bradford's  Manuscript  Hist.,  pp.  145-146. 
t  Stephen  Tracy's  estate  was  near  that  of  the  late  Samuel  Loring^, 

just  at  the  boundary  line  of  Duxbury. 


necessary  thereunto."*  Then  in  1637,  "an 
enlargement  of  lands  at  Stony  Brookf  is 
graunted  to  William  Bradford,  to  be 
viewed  and  layd  forth  in  convenyent  place 
for  him,  by  two  of  the  assistants,  and  to 
adjoyne  to  the  lands  he  hath  there  already"  $ 
The  Governor's  house  is  mentioned  this 
same  year,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following 
Court  Order,  May  10,  1637 :  "  It  is  agreed  that 
the  heighwayes,  both  for  horse,  cart,  and 
foote,  shalbe  as  followeth:  From  the  towne 
of  Plymouth  to  Joanes  River,  as  it  was 
cleared,  pvided  it  be  holpen  at  M'^  Allertons  § 
by  going  through  the  old  cowe-yard  at  the 
river,  the  place  being  comonly  called  the  Old 
Wading  Place,  and  so  through  a  valley  vp  the 
hill,  and  then  to  turne  straight  to  Abraham 
Pierces  ground  ||,  and  through  his  ground  as  it 
is  marked,  and  so  the  old  path"  to  Massechu- 
sett,  leaueing  M*"  Bradfords  house  vpon  the 
west,  &  from  M*"  Bradfords  house  to  Steephen 
Tracys  ground,  as  the  way  now  lyethlT"  etc. 
As  we  do  not  know  how  early  the  Governor 
built  his  house  there,  we  cannot  now  deter- 
mine how  long  he  resided  on  this  estate, 
but  it  is  our  belief  that  he  was  living 
there  several  years  before  1637,  until 
  about 

*  Colony  Rec,  Vol.  i.,  p.  46. 

t  A  brook  which  flows  from  Blackwater  Pond  to  Jones  River. 
X  Plymouth  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  I.,  p.  70. 

§The  estate  of  Joseph  A.  Holmes  was  a  portion  of  Mr.  Allerton's.  - 
II  South  Side  of  Stony  Brook. 
IT  Colony  Rec,  Vol.  I.,  p.  58. 


7 

about  the  year  1647.  Something  may  yet  be 
discovered  which  will  throw  additional  light 
upon  this  question,  but  for  the  present  we 
will  only  state  as  facts  what  we  find  upon 
our  public  records.  The  opinion  has  been 
expressed  that  perhaps  the  Governor  lived  there 
during  those  five  years  only,  when  he  declined 
the  cares  of  office,*  but  it  is  recorded  that 
during  one  of  his  official  years  he  was  there : 

'*  At  a  Townes  meeting  holden  the  Xth 
fFebruary  1643,  It  is  agreed  That  wolfe  traps 
be  made  according  to  the  order  of  the  Court 
in  manner  following 

I  That  one  trap  be  made  at  Joanes  River 
by  the  Governors  famyly  M*"  Prences  and  M*^ 
Hanburies  and  Mathew  ffuller  and  Abraham 
Pearce  "  t  etc. 

The  next  year,  when  Edward  Winslow  was 
governor,  we  find  the  following  record:  **At 
a  Townes  meeting  the  XXII  June  1644 — 
case  of  alarume  in  tyme  of  warr  or  danger  these 
divisions  of  the  Towneship  are  to  be  observed 
and  these  companys  to  repaire  together 

At  Joanes  River  /  Mr.  Bradfords  famyly  one 
I  Mr.  Prences  one 
I  Mr.  Hanbury  one 
I  Mr.  Howland  one 
<  ffrancis  Cooke  one 
j  Phineas  Pratt 
/  Gregory  Armestrong 
1  John  Winslow 

  ^  Mr.  Lee 

*  1633-34-36-38-1644. 

Plymouth  Town  Records,  Vol.  I.,  p.  i6. 


8 


We  have  stated  on  a  previous  page  that 
it  is  our  belief  that  the  Governor  did  not  live 
on  his  farm  after  the  year  1647,  and  that  is 
based  upon  this  record  — 1647,  Oct.  26.  The 
Court  ordereth,  and    giues  full   power  vnto 

Bradford,  Gou,  to  stay  and  seyze  vpon  all 
yc  goods,  come,  and  graine  y*  are  in  and  vpon 
his  farme  by  Jones  River,  vntill  his  tennants 
haue  fully  satisfied  and  payde  vnto  him  or 
his  ass»,  all  such  rents  &  oth^  dues  as  are  due 
and  payable  vnto  him  fro  his  now  tennants 
there."* 

Notwithstanding  this  record  just  given, 
there  are  some  of  the  descendants  of  Bradford 
who  think  he  continued  to  live  at  Jones  River, 
even  if  he  did  have  tenants  upon  his  farm 
there  at  the  date  last  mentioned. 

Had  the  places  where  the  town  meetings 
were  held  previous  to  the  time  of  which  we 
are  speaking  been  designated  upon  the  re- 
cords, we  could,  perhaps,  better  judge  where 
the  Governor  might  have  been  living  at  the 
different  times.  On  the  records  of  the  Town 
of  Plymouth,  we  find  that  after  1647,  those 
meetings  were  held  occasionally  ''at  the 
house  of  M'"  William  Bradford,  Gouv.,"  —  and 
as  we  had  supposed  no  such  meetings  were 
recorded  before,  that  fact  strengthened  our 
belief  for  a  while  that  the  Governor  had  by 
that  year  removed   from   his  estate  at  the 

river 

♦Plymouth  Colony  Rec,  Vol.  II.,  p.  119. 


9 

river,  to  a  place  where  it  would  be  more 
convenient  for  such  meetings  to  be  held  at 
his  house,  but  it  was  soon  discovered  on  the 
Colony  records  that  a  townemeeting "  was 
held  at  the  Governor's  house  Jan.  24,  1641-2=*. 
The  reports  of  a  few  of  those  town  meet- 
ings which  happened  to  be  recorded  on  the 
Colony  records,  merely  mention  that  they 
were  held  "before  the  Governor"  or  his 
assistants,  but  far  the  greater  number  of 
reports  in  both  Colony  and  Town  records 
fail  to  specify  the  places  of  those  meetings. 
As  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Plymouth 
were  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Jones  River  at 
an  early  date,  the  town  meetings  may  have 
been  held  occasionally  at  the  Governor's  house 
there  for  aught  we  know.  One  thing  more 
we  will  notice  before  dismissing  the  question 
we  have  been  considering:  Any  one  familiar 
with  Gov.  Bradford's  famous  history  of 
Plymouth  Plantation,  the  original  manuscript 
of  which  has  lately  been  returned  to  Massa- 
chusetts, will  remember  that  his  annals  close 
with  the  year  1646,  but  there  is  added  there- 
unto the  following :  — 

"Anno  1647  and  Anno  1648."  Does  not 
the  addition  of  those  two  dates  imply  that 
the  Governor  had  notes  or  material  to  add 
to  his  annals  for  those  years  at  least,  but 
for  some  reason  neglected  to  continue  his 
  history 

♦Colony  Rec,  Vol.  II.,  p.  31. 


10 


history,  although  he  lived  more  than  ten 
years  afterward.  He  states  that  he  com- 
menced his  writings  about  the  year  1630,  and 
pieced  them  up  at  times  of  leisure  after- 
ward.* If  he  removed  to  the  town  proper 
about  1647,  as  we  have  thought,  would  not 
those  hours  of  leisure  have  been  more  likely 
to  come  to  him  while  living  on  his  estate  at 
Jones  River  than  when  in  the  town,  where 
according  to  the  nature  of  things,  he  could 
not  have  been  so  secluded,  and  must  not  the 
duties  of  his  office  have  increased  as  the  colony 
grew  older?  The  reader  will  bear  in  mind 
that  we  are  only  stating  our  opinions  now, 
but  we  cannot  help  feeling  that  there  is  some 
significance  in  the  fact  of  the  first  date  at  the 
abrupt  close  of  the  famous  history  being  the 
same  year  (1647)  the  time  of  the  Gover- 
nor's supposed  removal  from  his  farm,  the 
reasons  for  which  supposition  we  have  en- 
deavored to  give  here.  We  have  thus  laid 
before  the  reader,  after  an  examination  of  the 
records,  what  has  come  to  our  notice  which 
in  anyway  bears  upon  the  question  we  have 
been  considering,  and  it  may  be  the  means  of 
interesting  someone  to  make  a  more  careful 
search,  as  in  some  unexpected  way  a  record 
may  yet  be  discovered  which  will  throw  more 
light  on  the  dwelling-places  of  Gov.  Bradford, 
two  centuries  and  a  half  ago.    The  Governor 

died 

*  *  Manuscript  Hist.,  Reverse  of  p.  3. 


died  May  9,  1657,  leaving  three  sons,  viz.: 
John,  William  and  Joseph.  John  had  pre- 
viously removed  to  Norwich,  Conn.,  while 
the  others  remained  in  Plymouth.  Joseph, 
the  youngest,  living  about  half  a  mile  from 
the  mouth  of  Jones  River,  near  the  ledge  of 
rocks  through  which  the  railroad  now  passes, 
at  a  place  which  was  called  Flat  House 
Dock."  Major  William  Bradford,  who  be- 
came one  of  the  most  important  men  of  the 
colony,  occupied  that  portion  of  the  estate  of 
his  father  which  has  been  more  particularly 
described  in  this  article.  There  he  reared  his 
large  family  of  fifteen  children,  from  whom 
thousands,  bearing  countless  family  names, 
have  descended  during  the  two  centuries  that 
have  elapsed  since  the  younger  sons  were 
born.  During  the  lifetime  of  Major  Wil- 
liam, we  occasionally  find  upon  the  public 
records  items  which  relate  to  the  lands  that  he 
occupied  in  the  vicinity  of  Jones  River  or 
Stony  Brook,  one  of  which,  for  its  histori- 
cal interest,  is  given  here.  "  1663,  i.  June. 
Wheras  there  was  a  graunt  by  the  Court  of 
an  addition  of  land  vnto  M«"  Willam  Bradford 
Seni'",  as  appeers  vpon  record,  which  was  not 
layed  out  nor  bounded  in  his  lifetime ;  and 
wheras  Captaine  Willam  Bradford,  the  son  of 
the  said  M"^  Willam  Bradford  Seni*",  did  make 
request  vnto  the  Court  that  the  same  might 
bee  pformed ;  the  Court  held  att  Plymouth 

on* 


12 


on  the  third  of  October  1662  did  appoint 
M'  Willam  Collyare  and  John  Alden, 
Assistants,  to  view  and  bound  an  addition 
adjoyning  vnto  the  lands  which  the  said 
Willam  Bradford  posseseth.  Now,  wee,  the 
aboue  named  Assistants,  haue,  this  twentyeth 
of  May,  1663  viewed  and  bounded  as  fol- 
loweth :  on  the  north  east  from  a  small 
rundelett  that  runeth  downe  to  a  place  com- 
only  called  the  Tussukes*,  and  soe  to  range 
alonge  northerly  by  Plymouth  bounds  next  to 
the  bounds  of  Duxburrow,  and  soe  to  the 
brooke  that  runes  into  black  waters,  to  the 
place  where  the  old  path  went  to  the  bay, 
so  rainging  downe  the  brook  a  mile  in  length. 

WILLAM  COLLYARE, 
JOHN  ALDIN. 

A  portion  of  the  land  above  described 
has  never  been  sold  to  this  day  (unless  some 
division  between  the  heirs  might  be  called 
a  sale),  but  has  descended  by  inheritance  or 
bequest  from  the  Pilgrim  Governor  to  the 
present  owners.  The  last  of  the  family  to 
own  it  was  David  Bradford,  who  bequeathed 
it  to  Francis  Drew  in  1840.  The  names  of 
the  last  two  persons  will  appear  on  the 
following  pages. 

In  the  year  1662,  when  Alexander  (Wam- 
sutta)  the  successor  of  Massasoit  was  suspected 
  of 

*Now  called  Tussock  Brook. 


13 

of  designs  against  the  English,  Major  Brad- 
ford was  with  Major  Winslow  when  the 
chieftain  was  surprised  and  taken  prisoner. 
As  the  account  of  Alexander's  arrest  and 
death  has  been  given  to  the  public  in  differ- 
ent forms,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  give 
Bradford's  version  of  the  affair,  and  it  is 
related  here  to  show  that  **  Wamautta"  tarried 
at  the  house  of  Bradford  just  previous  to  his 
death.  It  is  contained  in  a  letter  written  by- 
Rev.  John  Cotton  to  Dr.  Mather,  which  was 
published  by  Judge  Davis  in  his  edition  of 
Morton's  "Memorial,"  and  is  as  follows:  — 
"  Major  Bradford  confidently  assures  me 
that  in  the  narrative  'de  Alexandra  *  there 
are  many  mistakes,  and  fearing  lest  you 
should,  through  misinformation,  print  some 
mistakes  on  that  subject  from  his  mouth,  I 
this  write  :  Reports  being  here  that  Alexander 
was  plotting  or  privy  to  plots  against  the 
English,  authority  sent  for  him  to  come 
down.  He  came  not.  Whereupon  Major 
Winslow  was  sent  to  fetch  him.  Major 
Bradford  with  others  went  with  him.  At 
Munponset  river,  a  place  not  many  miles 
hence,  they  found  Alexander,  with  about 
eight  men  and  sundry  squaws.  He  was  there 
about  getting  canoes.  He  and  his  men  were 
at  their  breakfast  under  their  shelter,  their 
guns  being  without.  They  saw  the  English 
coming,  but  continued  eating  and  Winslow 

telling 


14 

telling  their  business,  Alexander  freely  and 
readily,  without  the  least  hesitancy,  consented 
to  go,  giving  his  reason  why  he  came  not  to 
the  Court  before,  viz. :  because  he  waited  for 
Capt.  Willett's  return  from  the  Dutch,  be- 
ing desirous  to  speak  with  him  first.  They 
brought  him  to  Mr.  Collier's  that  day,  and 
Gov.  Prince  living  remote  at  Eastham,  those 
few  magistrates  who  were  at  hand  issued  the 
matter  peaceably  and  immediately  dismissed 
Alexander,  to  return  home,  which  he  did  part 
of  the  way  ;  but  in  two  or  three  days  after, 
he  returned  and  went  to  Major  Winslow's 
house,  intending  thence  to  travel  into  the 
Bay,*  and  so  home  ;  but  at  the  Major's  house 
he  was  taken  very  sick,  and  was  by  water 
conveyed  to  Major  Bradford's  and  thence 
carried  upon  the  shoulders  of  his  men  to 
Tetequit  river,  and  thence  in  canoes  home, 
and  in  about  two  or  three  days  after  died." 
The  account  of  this  affair  which  had  been 
previously  published,  made  it  appear  that 
force  or  threats  were  used  before  Alexander 
would  accompany  the  officers,  and  that  the 
vexation  and  excitement  produced  the  fever 
which  caused  his  death.  As  this  sketch  is 
simply  to  give  a  history  of  the  ancient  estate, 
nothing  more  will  be  told  here  of  Major 
Bradford's  military  career,  the  most  impor- 
tant part  of  which  transpired  a  few  years 
  after 

*  Colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 


15 

after  the  event  we  have  just  related  took 
place,  for  Philip's  War  was  during  the  years 
1675-76.  Neither  will  much  be  said  relating 
to  the  genealogy  of  his  family  other  than 
what  is  revealed  in  his  will,  which  was 
written  about  eight  months  before  his  death, 
which  occurred  February  20,  1704.  That 
document  is  given  here,  in  full,  as  it  appears 
on  the  Plymouth  Probate  Records,  Vol.  2, 
P-  40- 

"The  last  Testament  of  William  Bradford 
living  in  the  township  of  Plymouth  in  the 
Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New 
England : 

I,  the  said  William  Bradford,  being  exer- 
cised with  many  bodily  infirmities  which  give 
me  cause  to  think  the  time  of  my  dissolution 
to  be  near,  being  of  a  disposing  mind  and 
memory,  do  make,  ordain  and  constitute  this 
my  last  will  and  testament  as  followeth : 

I.  Item.  I  commit  my  soul  to  God  my 
Creator  and  my  body  to  the  dust  of  the  earth 
to  be  decently  buried  in  hopes  of  a  glorious 
resurrection  through  the  merits  of  my  dear 
Redeemer,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  As  to  what 
outward  estate  it  has  pleased  God  to  bless 
me  with,  I  dispose  of  the  same  as  followeth: 
My  debts  being  first  faithfully,  fully  and  truly 
satisfied  and  paid,  my  will  is  that  my  loving 
wife  Mary  Bradford  have  her  thirds  in  my 
lands  and  meadows  where  I  now  dwell  in 

the 


i6 

the  township  of  Plymouth  as  also  in  all  my 
lands  and  meadows  which  I  have  elsewhere 
not  by  me  heretofore  disposed  of  during  her 
natural  life  and  that  she  have  with  David 
Bradford,  my  son,  the  house  in  which  I  live, 
with  the  barn  and  orchard  by  it  during  her 
life  and  after  her  decease  that  my  said  son, 
David  Bradford  shall  have  my  said  house 
barn  and  orchard  to  him  and  his  heirs  for- 
ever saving  that  my  will  is  that  my  sons 
Ephraim  and  Hezekiah  Bradford  shall  have 
so  much  interest  in  my  said  house  as  to 
have  liberty  to  dwell  therein  till  they  can 
provide  for  themselves  otherwise. 

2.  Item :  To  my  eldest  son,  John  Brad- 
ford, I  have  made  over  tracts  of  land  and 
meadow  as  by  deed  under  my  hand  and  seal 
appeareth  whereon  he  now  dwelleth,  further, 
I  give  and  bequeath  to  him  my  father's  man- 
script  viz:  A  Narrative  of  the  beginning  of 
New  Plimouth,  Pareus  upon  the  Revelation 
and  Bariff's  Military  discipline. 

3.  Item  :  To  my  grandson  William  Brad- 
ford, son  of  my  son  William  Bradford,  de- 
ceased, I  have  given  tracts  of  land  and 
meadow  as  appear  under  my  hand  and  seal, 
further  I  give  him  when  he  shall  come  of 
age,  one  of  Mr.  Perkins  his  works. 

4.  Item :  To  my  son  Thomas  Bradford  I 
have  given  a  portion  in  lands  in  Norwich, 
(which  were  the  lands  of  my  brother  John 

Bradford 


17 

Bradford)  as  per  deed  under  my  hand  and 
seal  as  may  appear. 

5.  Item :  To  my  son  Samuel  Bradford  I 
have  given  tracts  of  land  under  my  hand  and 
seal  as  may  appear. 

6.  Item :  To  my  son  Joseph  Bradford  a 
portion  of  lands  near  Norwich  aforesaid 
(which  was  his  mother's  and  part  I  pur- 
chased) as  may  appear  under  my  hand  and 
seal,  also  I  give  to  him  the  history  of  the 
Netherlands  and  a  Rapier. 

7.  Item :  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my 
four  sons  John  Bradford,  Thomas  Bradford, 
Samuel  Bradford  and  Joseph  Bradford  all  that 
my  part  and  right  which  I  have  to  the  head 
of  Cape  Cod. 

8.  Item :  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  son 
Samuel  Bradford  my  right  of  commonage  or 
common  right  which  I  have  in  the  Township 
of  Duxbury 

9.  Item:  It  is  my  will  that  my  sons 
Israel  Bradford,  Ephraim  Bradford,  David 
Bradford  and  Hezekiah  Bradford  shall  have 
all  that  my  farm  or  tenement  whereon  I  now 
dwell,  together  with  all  the  fences  orchards, 
trees  and  fruit  trees  (except  what  is  above 
excepted)  standing  or  growing  thereon,  with 
all  the  other  lands  meadows  swamps  or  right 
of  lands  that  I  now  have  within  the  town- 
ship of  Plymouth  lying  on  the  northerly  side 
of  the  brook  commonly  called  Stony  Brook 

with 


i8 

with  all  and  singular  the  privileges  thereof, 
which  said  land,  meadows  farm  or  tenement 
above  said  I  do  by  these  presents  give  be- 
queath and  devise  to  my  said  four  sons  (that 
is  to  say  each  of  them  an  equal  part  or 
proportion)  to  whom  and  their  heirs  forever 
not  to  be  sold,  given  or  made  away  either 
the  whole  or  in  part  thereof  except  to  each 
other  or  some  bearing  the  name  of  the  Brad- 
fords  descended  from  me.  This  I  give  and 
bequeath  to  them  hoping  they  will  show  them- 
selves very  careful  of,  dutiful  and  respectful 
to  my  loving  wife  their  mother  during  her 
life. 

10.  Item:  It  is  my  will  that  whereas  my 
son  Israel  Bradford  has  been  at  charge  in 
building  an  house  upon  part  of  the  farm  or 
tenament  above  —  said  that  he,  the  said  Israel 
shall  have  and  enjoy  the  said  house  for  his 
own,  together  with  an  acre  of  land  thereunto 
adjoining,  to  him  and  his  heirs  forever. 

11.  Item:  I  will  and  bequeath  to  my 
said  son  Israel,  my  belt  and  Rapier. 

12.  Item :  I  give  to  my  son  Ephraim 
Bradford  one  of  my  musquetts  and  a  table 
with  drawers : 

13.  Item :  I  give  to  my  son  David  Brad- 
ford my  silver  bowl*  after  his  mother's 
decease  not  to  be  alienated  from  the  family 
of  the  Bradfords. 

14.  Item : 

*  See  Appendix  A. 


19 

14-  Item:  I  give  to  my  son  Hezekiah 
Bradford  my  gold  ring  and  a  silver  spoon. 

15.  Item :  I  give  to  my  grandson  Wil- 
liam Bradford  the  son  of  John  Bradford  my 
silver  wine  cup  when  he  comes  of  age. 

16.  Item :  I  give  to  my  daughters,  Mercy 
Steel  Hannah  Ripley,  Miletiah  Steel,  Mary 
Hunt  to  each  of  them  besides  what  portion  I 
have  already  given  10  shillings  apiece  to  be 
paid  within  a  year  next  after  my  decease. 

17.  Item :  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my 
daughter  Alice  Fitch  a  wrought  cushion  that 
was  her  mother's. 

18.  Item :  I  give  unto  my  daughter  Sarah 
Baker  two  of  my  biggest  pewter  platters  and 
also  a  china  bason ;  also  a  cow  to  be  delivered 
to  her  within  a  year  after  my  decease. 

19.  Item :  I  give  unto  my  son  Samuel 
Bradford  all  my  Latin  books  to  encourage 
him  in  bringing  up  one  of  his  sons  to  learning 
which  said  books  it  is  my  will  that  they  shall 
by  him  be  given  to  his  said  son  whom  he 
shall  so  bring  up. 

20.  Item :  I  give  to  every  one  of  my 
daughters  a  good  book  which  they  may 
choose  out  of  my  library. 

21.  Item:  I  give  to  Hannah  the  wife  of 
my  son  Samuel  Bradford  Mr.  Borroughs  on 
the  nth  of  Matthew. 

22.  Item:  It  is  my  will  that  the  rest  of 
my  books  be  safely  kept  by  my  executors  and 

in 


20 


in  case  my  son  Samuel  shall  bring  up  one  of 
his  sons  to  learning  to  be  by  said  executors 
delivered  to  him  when  he  comes  of  age. 

I  do  constitute  and  appoint  my  loving 
sons  John  Bradford,  Samuel  Bradford  and 
Israel  Bradford  as  executors  of  this  my  last 
will  and  testament  to  pay  such  debts  as  I 
owe,  to  receive  my  dues  and  to  see  my  body 
decently  buried,  to  defray  the  charge  thereof 
and  to  see  my  will  (as  near  as  they  can)  in 
all  the  particulars  of  it  performed,  thus  hop- 
ing that  they  will  faithfully  perform  such  a 
trust  committed  unto  them.  I  do  revoke  and 
make  void  any  former  will  by  me  at  anytime 
heretofore  made. 

I,  the  said  William  Bradford  have  here- 
unto set  my  hand  and  seal  this  twenty-ninth 
day  of  June,  1703. 

Signed  sealed  and  declared  to  be  his  last 
will  and  testament 

In  presence  of  us 
John  Rogers 
Thomas  Loring 
Ephraim  Little  Jr. 

Major  John  Bradford,  the  eldest  son  of 
Major  William,  had  (as  is  seen  in  the  fore- 
going will)  his  portion  of  lands  given  him 

during 


21 


during  his  father's  lifetime.  He  lived  a  few 
rods  from  Jones  River,  south  of  Stony  Brook, 
and  his  house  is  still  standing  very  near  the 
railroad,  so  that  anyone  riding  in  the  cars  from 
Plymouth  to  Boston  can  have  a  good  view  of 
it  while  passing  over  the  river.  It  was  built 
about  1674,  and  according  to  tradition,  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  burn  it,  by  the  Indians,  dur- 
ing Philip's  War.  In  proof  of  this,  it  is  stated 
that  while  repairs  were  being  made  on  the 
house,  the  first  part  of  the  present  century, 
charred  timbers  were  discovered.  This  is  the 
same  house  to  which  reference  is  made  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Prince,  the  chronologist,  in  the  note 
written  by  him  on  the  fly-leaf  of  Gov.  Brad- 
ford's manuscript  history,  where  he  describes 
his  call  on  Major  John  Bradford  in  1728. 
Kingston  was  set  off  from  Plymouth  in  1726, 
and  previous  to  that  time,  when  its  territory 
was  known  as  Jones  River  Parish,  Major 
John  Bradford  had  given  lands  for  public 
purposes,  viz. :  the  schoolhouse  and  meeting- 
house lots,  and  also  for  a  burial  ground. 
How  much  of  those  lands  was  previously  in 
the  possession  of  his  father  or  grandfather 
we  are  not  now  able  to  state,  not  having  in- 
vestigated the  records  sufficiently,  but  we 
have  a  clearer  knowledge  of  that  part  of  the 
original  Bradford  estate  on  the  north  side  of 
Stony  Brook  which  Major  William  Bradford 
expressly  requested,  in  the  ninth  item  of  his 

will, 


22 


will,  should  remain  in  the  family  name ;  and 
it  is  that  portion  which  we  shall  more  particu- 
larly describe  in  this  paper.  The  four  younger 
sons,  referred  to  in  the  same  item  of  the 
will,  lived  on  various  portions  of  the  estate 
between  Stony  Brook  and  the  bounds  of  Dux- 
bury.  Israel's  house,  referred  to  in  the  tenth 
item  of  his  father's  will,  being  about  one- 
quarter  of  a  mile  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
from  the  old  homestead  on  the  easterly  side 
of  the  present  Boston  road,  a  short  distance 
from  the  Stony  Brook  schoolhouse  on  the 
hill.  Major  William's  widow  died  in  1715, 
and  about  that  time  the  son  David,  to  whom 
the  ancient  house  was  bequeathed,  built  a 
new  one  very  nearly  opposite  the  school- 
house.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  one  branch 
of  the  Le  Baron  family  of  Plymouth,  as  his 
daughter,  Lydia  Bradford,  who  first  married 
Elkanah  Cushman,  became  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Lazarus  Le  Baron.  Hezekiah  Bradford  lived 
a  mile  farther  on  the  Boston  road  nearly  to 
the  bounds  of  Duxbury.  The  cellar  of  his 
house  was  visible  a  few  years  ago,  just 
opposite  the  residence  of  the  late  Ira 
Chandler.  The  home  of  Ephraim  is  the  only 
one  we  cannot  positively  locate.  His  son, 
Ezekiel,  who  removed  to  Maine  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  lived  at  "  Black- 
water,"  a  short  distance  south  of  his  uncle 
Hezekiah,  on  the  same  place  occupied  by  the 

late 


late    Nathaniel    Faunce ;    and  another   son,  j 

Wait,   had  his  house    just    northerly   from  ) 

"Brewster's  Lane,"  near  the  locality  known  j 

as  the  "Punch  Bowls."    Deacon  James  Fos-  I 

ter,  an   aged   citizen  of  Kingston,  who  was  ' 

living  in  1873,  and  who  gave  much  valuable  \ 

information  in  regard  to  the  ancient  families  i 

of  the  old  colony,  stated  to  the  writer  that  i 

he  had  been  told  that  the   house  built  by  | 

Deacon  Wrestling  Brewster  about  1720,  and  i 

which  is  still  standing,  "was  not  wholly  built  j 

by  Brewster,  but  that  a  portion  of  it  was  built  I 

by  a  Bradford."    As  there  had  never  been  | 

any  doubt  where  the  other  three  brothers  of  ) 

whom  we   have    been    speaking    had    their  i 

homes,  he  felt  that  if  a  Bradford  did  build  a  j 

part  of  the  house  it  must  have  been  Ephraim,  r 

and  he  could  easily  believe  it,  he  said,  "for  \ 

the  reason  that  Brewster  was  his  brother-in-  | 

law,   Bradford   having  married    the    latter's  1 

sister,  Elizabeth."     This  last  statement  will  ,| 

probably  raise  a  genealogical  question  which  | 

will  be   explained  in  the  appendix  B.    We  1 

will  now  speak  of  that  portion  of  the  ancient  ^ 

estate  that  was  destined  to  remain  in  the  ! 

family  name  for  a  long  term  of  years.    After  s 

the  house  of  David  Bradford  (which  he  built  ] 

about  1715)  had  stood  for  fifty  years,  his  son  1 
Nathan,  in  1766,  erected  the  dwelling-house 

which  was  owned  by  the  late  Thomas  Bailey,  1 

and  which  is  now  in  a  well-preserved  condition.  1 

It 


24 

It  is  situated  on  the  lot  adjoining  that 
whereon  stood  the  old  house  of  his  grand- 
father, Major  William.  Nathan  Bradford  died 
in  1787,  and  but  little  of  the  original  estate 
which  he  inherited  had  been  disposed  of  dur- 
ing his  lifetime.*  His  son  David  soon  came 
in  possession  of  his  father's  lands,  and  until 
after  the  year  1800  was  the  owner  of  nearly 
all  the  lands  on  both  sides  of  the  road  north 
of  Stony  Brook  to  where  the  schoolhouse 
now  stands.  In  1804  he  sold  the  lot  on  the 
easterly  side  of  the  road,  which  was  bounded 
by  the  brook,  to  Thomas  Cushman.  (Plym- 
outh Reg.  of  Deeds,  Vol.  99,  p.  226.)  This  is 
the  same  lot  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Lydia  T. 
Adams  and  her  son,  Horatio  Adams.  In  1806, 
a  lot  nearly  opposite  to  the  latter  on  the 
westerly  side  of  the  road  was  sold  to  Seth 
Drew,  Jr.,  but  not  until  1822  was  any  more 
of  the  estate  in  that  locality  disposed  of.  In 
that  year  he  sold  to  Francis  Drew  (who  had 
married  his  niece,  Joanna  Bradford,)  his 
house,  built  as  before  stated  in  1766,  and  a 
tract  of  land  which  embraced  the  homestead 
lot  of  Major  William  Bradford.  Then,  in 
1827,  the  remaining  land  on  the  easterly  side 
of  the  road  to  the  Adams  lot  was  sold  to  the 
same  person.    Soon  after  he  sold  his  house 

he 

*The  first  lot  north  of  Stony  Brook  on  the  westerly  side  of  the 
highway  was  sold  by  him  to  Benj.  Chipnnan  in  1753,  who  built 
the  house  now  standing  there  which  was  the  home  of  Major 
Seth  Drew  for  more  than  fifty  years  until  his  death  in  1824. 


25 

he  dwelt  in  another  directly  across  the  road, 
and  in  1827  all  the  land  between  the  latter 
house  lot  and  that  which  he  sold  to  Seth  Drew 
in  1806,  was  conveyed  to  Eli  Cook,  Esq.  David 
Bradford  died  Feb.  29,  1840,  aged  83  years, 
and  by  a  provision  in  his  will  the  writer 
of  this  article  came  in  possession  of  his 
homestead  in  1858 ;  thus  being  the  last  person 
having  Bradford  connected  with  his  name 
to  possess  by  inheritance  or  bequest  in  direct 
descent,  any  of  that  portion  of  the  ancient 
estate  mentioned  in  the  ninth  item  of  the 
will  of  Major  William  Bradford,  which  was 
written  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  years  be- 
fore. The  land  conveyed  to  Francis  Drew 
and  Eli  Cook  was  divided  into  lots,  and  dur- 
ing the  succeeding  thirty  years  they  were  all 
taken  up  for  building  purposes.  In  1832,  Mr. 
Drew  sold  the  house,  which  was  built  by 
Nathan  Bradford,  to  Thomas  Bailey,  whose 
family  still  owns  it.  In  1846,  Mr.  Drew  erected 
a  house  on  the  vacant  land  directly  in  the 
rear  of  the  lots  that  he  had  sold  on  the  street, 
and  very  near  the  site  of  the  ancient  Brad- 
ford house.  There  he  lived  the  remainder  of 
his  days,  and  at  his  death,  in  1862,  the  prop- 
erty passed  to  his  only  living  child,  Elizabeth 
F.,  wife  of  Cornelius  A.  Faunce,  who  kept  it 
in  her  possession  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
She  died  in  1894,  and  her  two  sons  retained 
the  property  for  two  years ;   when  in  the 

summer 


26 


summer  of  1896  it  was  offered  for  sale,  and 
for  its  family  and  historical  associations  the 
writer  bought  it,  and  soon  made  a  plan  to 
continue  the  road  which  led  to  the  house  on 
the  place,  through  a  vacant  field  to  an  ancient 
lane,"*^  which  was  in  the  early  days  the  way 
to  different  portions  of  the  old  estate,  and 
then  to  lay  out  lots  for  building  purposes. 

This  way  was  soon  named  *'  Bradford 
Road"  and  it  passes  the  site  of  the  ancient 
house  now  plainly  seen  by  the  depression  in 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  Alden  Bradford, 
who  was  the  Secretary  of  Massachusetts  from 
1812  to  1824  and  President  of  the  Pilgrim 
Society  at  Plymouth  1826  to  1841,  went  to 
Kingston  while  on  one  of  his  visits  to  Plym- 
outh and  requested  the  venerable  David  Brad- 
ford to  point  out  to  him  the  spot  where  the 
house  of  his  ancestor  stood,  which  he  did  and 
Deacon  James  Foster  who  gave  this  testi- 
mony, was  present  on  that  occasion.  About 
1855,  Francis  Drew  made  excavations  in  the 
old  cellar  and  found  numerous  bricks  (one  of 
which  is  now  in  Pilgrim  Hall  at  Plymouth) 
and  a  few  household  articles. 

People  of  middle  age  well  remember  sev- 
eral trees  of  the  old  orchard  which  stood  in  a 
decaying  condition  after  1840 ;  and  one  was 
left  standing  and  bearing  fruit  until  about 
twenty  years  ago.    For  proof  of  this  statement 

we 

*See  Appendix  C. 


27 

we  will  quote  from  the  proceedings  of  the 
Celebration  of  the  150th  Anniversary  of  the 
Incorporation  of  Kingston,  Mass.,  June  27, 
1876.  The  procession  moved  first  to  the 
estate  formerly  owned  by  Gov.  Bradford  and 
his  almost  equally  illustrious  son  William 
Bradford,  Jr. ;  passing  the  cellar  of  the  house 
occupied  at  least  by  the  latter,  and  also  by 
the  last  apple-tree  of  his  orchard,  a  high-top 
sweeting,  set  out,  it  is  believed,  in  1669,  and 
which  in  this  year  of  grace,  1876,  bears  a 
small  quantity  of  fair  fruit."  Notwithstanding 
the  great  age  of  this  apple-tree  it  came  to 
an  untimely  end,  for  a  boy  on  a  "  Fourth  of 
July"  made  a  bonfire  in  its  old  hollow  trunk, 
and  every  vestige  of  life  in  the  historic  tree 
went  up  in  smoke  on  that  "  Independence 
Day."  Since  the  celebration  at  Kingston,  the 
desire  has  been  repeatedly  expressed  that 
some  memorial  be  placed  on  the  old  estate 
so  that  it  may  be  kept  in  remembrance  by 
the  future  generations,  and,  at  last,  the  oppor- 
tunity has  come.  Soon  after  the  property 
came  into  our  possession  we  communicated 
with  Mr.  Gamaliel  Bradford,  Governor  of  the 
Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants,  at  Boston, 
and  made  known  our  desire  to  have  the 
descendants  of  Gov.  Bradford  interested  in 
marking  the  particular  lot  which  includes  the 
site  of  their  ancestral  home ;  and  he  soon 
made  the  generous  offer  to  contribute  one 

quarter 


28 


quarter  the  value  of  the  lot,  if  it  could  be 
reserved,  and  the  "  marking  and  ornamenta- 
tion of  it  could  come,"  as  he  said,  afterward. 
As  so  much  interest  seemed  to  be  manifested 
at  the  very  first  of  the  movement,  requests  for 
aid  in  the  work  were  soon  sent  to  descend- 
ants in  various  parts  of  the  country,  first,  of 
course,  to  some  who  were  known  to  be  pleased 
to  claim  the  worthy  Pilgrim  Governor  as 
their  ancestor ;  then  to  a  few  of  those  whose 
names  appeared  as  members  of  the  differ- 
ent patriotic  societies ;  and  to  others  as  their 
names  came  to  mind  or  were  suggested. 
Favorable  responses  soon  came,  and  some  of 
the  contributions  were  from  wholly  unex- 
pected sources,  being  obtained  through  the  in- 
fluence of  persons  who  had  already  aided  in 
the  work,  or  from  those  who  knew  such  was 
in  progress  and  desired  its  accomplishment. 
What  memorial  may  be  placed  on  the  lot  is 
a  question  for  the  future,  but  one  thing  is 
certain, —  the  first  stage  of  the  work  is  com- 
pleted, the  ground  is  reserved  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  will  henceforth  belong  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants. 
The  names  of  those  who  have  the  honor  of 
contributing  to  the  fund  for  the  purchase  of 
the  lot,  and  who  will  be  considered  as  the 
donors  of  it  to  the  Society,  are  here  given : 


Gamaliel  Bradford 
Grace  Bradford  Fairfax 
Frances  Maria  Scott  Sherry 


Boston,  Mass. 
New  York. 
Troy,  N.  Y. 


29 


Catharine  Ditson  . 

Mary  Burr  Porter 

Emily  Bradford  Whipple 

Hannah  Gould  Mynderse  . 

George  L.  Bradford 

Samuel  Eliot 

Emily  M.  Morison 

Amelia  S.  Quinton 

George  Sumner  Bradford  . 

William  W.  Webb 

Eliza  Edes  Hickling  Bradford 

Fanny  Gore  Bradford  Cutler 

Susan  B.  Willard 

Edwin  R.  Bradford 

Wadsworth  J.  Brewster 

John  Whittlesey  Walton  . 

Jonn  E.  Ensign  . 

Mary  Watson  Borup  . 

Mary  Loring  Williams 

Isabella  Eldridge  . 

Jane  Trowbridge  Hotchkiss 

Helen  P.  Maxwell 

Emily  Strong  Taintor  . 

Royal  B.  Bradford 

Lily  Virginia  Larkin 

Willard  Lincoln  Sampson  . 

Brady  Electus  Backus 

Mary  E.  Bradford 

Mary  A.  T.  N.  Starkweather 

Alden  S.  Bradford 

Benjamin  Delano  Sweet 

Rebecca  H.  Christian  . 

Albert  A.  Christian 

Belle  Vaill  Torrey 

Louisa  M.  S.  Taylor  ; 

Georgiana  Webb  Owen 

Susan  Bradford  Cook  Gilkey 

George  W.  Harman 


.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  North  Adams,  Mass. 

.  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

.  Utica,  N.  Y. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

.  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

.  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Hingham,  Mass. 

.  Evanston,  111. 

.  Hannibal,  N.  Y. 

.  Cleveland,  O. 

.  Cleveland,  O. 

.  Germantown,  Pa. 

.  Urbana,  O. 

.  Norfolk,  Conn. 

.  New  Haven,  Conn. 

.  New  York. 

.  Hartford,  Conn. 

.  Port  Tampa,  Fla. 

.  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y. 

.  Newton,  Mass. 

.  New  York. 

.  Yonkers,  N.  Y. 

.  Ypsilanti,  Mich. 

.  Kingston,  Mass. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Boston,  Mass. 

.  Worcester,  Mass. 

.  Germantown,  Pa. 

.  Ypsilanti,  Mich. 

.  Portland,  Me. 

.  Bennington,  Vt. 


30 

Ella  Bradford  Burnham  .  Norwich,  Conn. 

Edward  H.  Bradford    .       .  .  Boston,  Mass. 

Amory  Howe  Bradford       .  .  Montclair,  N.  J. 

Lilla  Manning  Briggs  .       .  .  New  York. 

Martha  Le  Baron  Stoddard  .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

Ellen  Jenette  Stoddard        .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

Sarah  Sisson  Wendelken    .  .  Dallas,  Tex. 

Alice  Maud  Allen  Atwater  .  .  Pittsfield,  Mass. 

William  Bradford  Atwater  .  .  Pittsfield,  Mass. 

Hannah  Stevenson  Davis    .  .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

Joanna  White  Morgan  .  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

Lydia  T.  Bradford  Adams  .  Kingston,  Mass. 

Horatio  Adams     ....  Kingston,  Mass. 

Lucia  Alden  Bradford  Knapp  .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

Laura  Stoddard  Brewster    .  .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

William  Brewster        .       .  .  Plymouth,  Mass. 

Mary  Breck  Vaill  ....  New  York. 

Anna  Isabel  La  Monte        .  .  Bound  Brook,  N.  J. 

Edward  Breck  Vaill      .       .  .  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Charles  B.  Humphrey         .  .  Providence,  R.  I. 

James  L.  Humphrey,  Jr.  .  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

It  may  be  well  before  closing  this  paper 
to  mention  one  or  two  suggestions,  which 
have  been  made  by  contributors,  in  relation 
to  a  memorial  of  some  kind  which  should  be 
placed  upon  the  lot.  Some  would  be  satis- 
fied to  have  the  ground  left  ungraded  so  to 
show  the  depressions  in  the  surface  where 
the  buildings  once  stood,  but  to  have  a  suit- 
able fence  or  curbing  around  it,  with  perhaps 
a  heap  of  large  bowlders  in  the  centre,  on 
one  of  which  to  have  a  bronze  tablet  placed 
having  a  suitable  inscription  upon  it*  A 
better  suggestion  has  been  made,  and  that 


31 

is  to  build  a  structure  like  a  castle  tower 
of  rough  stone,  the  base  at  least  to  be  of 
good-sized  bowlders,  while  the  upper  part 
might  be  constructed  of  brick,  with  a  facing 
on  the  outside  of  rubble  work.  Such  a 
structure  would  need  to  be  made  high  enough 
to  be  above  any  buildings  which  might  be 
erected  on  the  lots  in  the  immediate  vicinity ; 
and  we  think  this  idea  of  a  tower  would  be 
received  favorably  by  many  if  they  were  on 
the  spot,  for  it  is  a  slight  eminence  com- 
manding a  very  pleasant  prospect  of  the 
lands  bordering  on  the  bay,  with  a  full  view 
of  the  monument  to  Myles  Standish,  three 
miles  distant  in  an  easterly  direction  across 
the  water,  while  Plymouth  is  distinctly  seen 
at  the  right,  four  miles  away.  The  monu- 
ment on  Captain's  Hill  at  Duxbury  is  not  far 
from  the  estate  of  the  old  military  com- 
mander of  the  colony ;  and  what  would  be 
more  appropriate  than  that  the  ancient  es- 
tate of  its  illustrious  Governor,  in  those  early 
days,  should  be  similarly  marked.  At  pres- 
ent the  lot  is  designated  by  a  simple  sign- 
board bearing  the  following  inscription  :  — 

"This  eminence  is  a  portion  of 
The  ancient  estate  of  William  Bradford, 
the  illustrious  Governor  of  Plymouth  Colony, 

where  he  had  a  house  before  1637. 
Here  his  son,  the  '  Honourable  Major  William 
Bradford,'  lived  and  died  in  the  year  1704. 
Wamsutta,  the  Indian  Chieftain,  tarried 
here  just  previous  to  his  death  in  1662." 


32 

The  foregoing  sketch  will  doubtless  meet 
the  eye  of  many  of  the  Bradford  descendants 
who  would  willingly  have  assisted  in  the 
work,  which  has  thus  far  been  done,  had 
they  been  called  upon  for  aid  or  had  had  any 
intimation  of  what  was  desired  to  be  accom- 
plished. To  such,  we  will  say  that  when  an 
appeal  shall  be  made  for  funds  to  erect  a 
memorial  on  the  ancient  estate  to  the  memory 
of  their  illustrious  ancestor,  their  opportunity 
will  come  to  do  honor  to  his  memory  ;  and 
to  those  who  have  prepared  the  way  by  re- 
serving the  land  for  such  a  noble  purpose, 
we  again  thank  them,  one  and  all,  for  the 
cheerful  manner  in  which  they  have  re- 
sponded to  the  call  made  upon  them  and  for 
the  interest  they  have  manifested  in  the  work. 

The  generations  went  their  way. 

Their  children's  children  roam 
And  thousands  of  them  claim  to-day 

This,  their  ancestral  home. 

PRESENTATION  OF  THE  "BRADFORD  LOT"  TO 
THE  "SOCIETY  OF  MAYFLOWER  DESCEND- 
ANTS." 

A  meeting  of  the  above-named  Society 
assembled  at  Kingston  on  Thursday,  Sept. 
30,  1897.  It  was  a  beautiful  autumn  day,  the 
weather  being  everything  that  could  be  de- 
sired, and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
persons  were  present  on  the  old  Bradford 
place,    delegations    having    come    from  the 

adjoining 


33 

adjoining  towns  of  Plymouth  and  Duxbury. 
Mr.  George  Ernest  Bowman,  secretary  of  the 
Society,  announced  the  death  of  Mrs.  Mary 
A.  T.  N.  Starkweather,  of  Ypsilanti,  Mich., 
one  of  the  contributors  to  the  fund  for  the 
purchase  of  the  lot  and  its  reservation.  She 
is  the  first  member  of  the  Society  who  has 
died.  Mr.  Bowman  then  stated  for  what 
purpose  the  meeting  was  held,  and  called 
upon  Hon.  William  T.  Davis,  of  Plymouth, 
to  make  the  opening  address. 

REMARKS  BY  MR.  DAVIS. 

In  introducing  the  simple  ceremonies  of 
this  occasion  I  have  only  a  few  informal 
words  to  say :  You  stand  today  on  hallowed 
ground.  On  the  15th  of  December,  1620,  old 
style,  the  Mayflower  weighed  anchor  at  Prov- 
incetown  and  on  the  i8th,  while  lying  in 
Plymouth  Harbor,  some  of  the  party  landed. 

They  found  no  navigable  river,  but  "  four 
or  five  running  brooks  of  very  sweet,  fresh 
water  that  all  ran  into  the  sea."  On  the  19th 
they  discovered  Jones  River,  and  as  Bradford 
states,  "went  up  three  English  miles."  So 
far  as  is  known,  this  was  the  first  discovery 
by  any  white  man  of  the  river  which  has 
always  since  that  time  borne  the  name  of 
Thomas  Jones,  the  captain  of  the  Mayflower. 
The  territory  through  which  the  river  runs 
was  called  Jones  River  until  1717,  when  on 

the 


34 

the  establishment  of  a  parish  within  its 
limits,  it  was  called  Jones  River  Parish  until 
1726,  when  it  was  set  off  from  Plymouth  and 
incorporated  as  a  town.  At  the  time  of  its 
incorporation  it  was  at  first  proposed  to  call 
it  Ashburton,  but  finally  Lieutenant-Governor 
Dummer  gave  it  the  name  of  Kingston.  As 
early  as  1636  so  many  of  the  Plymouth  colo- 
nists had  obtained  grants  of  lands,  and  made 
settlements  in  the  outlying  districts  of  Jones 
River,  Duxbury  and  Marshfield,  that  it  was 
proposed  by  some  to  transfer  the  Plymouth 
Church  to  Jones  River  and  erect  a  meeting- 
house. Up  to  that  time  public  worship  had 
been  held  either  in  the  Common  House  or  in 
the  fort,  on  what  is  now  Burial  Hill,  and  as 
an  immediate  construction  of  a  church  was 
contemplated  it  was  apparently  desired  to 
take  some  definite  steps  towards  a  change  of 
location  before  it  was  too  late.  The  move- 
ment failed,  and  in  the  next  year,  1637,  a 
meeting-house  was  erected  on  the  north  side 
of  Plymouth  Town  Square.  Among  those 
who  had  secured  lands  and  more  or  less 
permanent  settlements  at  Jones  River,  prior 
to  1636,  were  Gov.  Bradford,  John  Howland, 
Stephen  Tracy  and  Abraham  Pierce.  At  a 
later  date  it  became  also  the  home  of  Thomas 
Willet,  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  the  Plym- 
outh Colony,  who,  after  the  capture  of  New 
York  by  the  United  Colonies  in  1664,  was 

selected 


35 

selected  to  act  as  its  first  mayor.  The  pre- 
cise date  and  extent  of  the  grant  of  Jones 
River  lands  to  Gov.  Bradford  cannot  be  fixed. 
It  is  known  to  have  extended  at  least  a  mile 
north  and  south,  and  it  probably  comprised 
about  three  hundred  acres.  His  house  is  first 
mentioned  in  the  description  of  a  road  re- 
corded in  1637.  This  road,  as  the  record 
states,  crossed  Jones  River,  and  thence  going 
up  the  hill  through  a  valley  to  Abraham 
Pierce's,  turned  northerly  to  the  house  of 
Stephen  Tracy,  leaving  Gov.  Bradford's  house 
on  the  west.  The  ford  of  the  river  is  satis- 
factorily determined  by  the  easily  traced  val-j| 
ley  up  the  hill,  and  the  hill  is  that  now 
known  as  Abraham's  Hill,  taking  its  name 
from  Abraham  Pierce  whose  house  was 
somewhere  near  the  new  Public  Library. 
The  house  of  Stephen  Tracy  stood  near  the 
site  of  the  house  of  John  H.  Parks,  and  the 
easterly  line  of  Gov.  Bradford's  land  can  be 
defined  with  considerable  accuracy.  The 
quarter  of  an  acre  on  which  we  stand, 
bounded  on  the  westerly  side  by  the  fence 
and  on  the  other  three  sides  by  a  line  of 
newly  planted  trees,  was  never  alienated  from 
the  Bradford  family  until  1822.  It  is  included 
within  a  recent  purchase  made  by  Dr.  Thomas 
Bradford  Drew,  of  Plymouth,  and  from  him 
passes  today  to  the  Massachusetts  Society  of 
the  Mayflower  Descendants.    Though  not  a 

matter 


36 

matter  of  absolute  record,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  on  this  quarter  of  an  acre  the 
house  of  Gov.  Bradford  stood.  It  is  known 
with  certainty  that  his  son,  Major  William 
Bradford,  deputy-governor  of  Plymouth  Col- 
ony, lived  here ;  and  the  depression  in  the 
ground  near  where  I  stand  marks  the  site  of 
his  house.  It  is  not  for  me,  however,  to  en- 
ter minutely  into  details  which  more  fittingly 
belong  to  Dr.  Drew  to  explain,  and  I  take 
pleasure  in  presenting  him  to  you  as  not  only 
the  recent  owner  of  the  land,  but  also  as  an 
historian  who  has  rendered  valuable  service 
to  Kingston,  his  native  town. 

Dr.  Drew,  of  Plymouth,  then  proceeded 
to  give  a  short  historical  sketch  of  the  Brad- 
ford estate,  and  how  it  had  descended  from  the 
original  occupants  down  to  the  present  day, 
and  also  of  the  movement  begun  a  few  months 
ago  to  reserve  the  particular  lot  on  which 
the  company  were  then  standing;  but  that 
portion  of  the  exercises  will  not  be  given 
here,  as  it  would  be  a  virtual  repetition  of 
what  has  appeared  on  the  previous  pages. 
He  then  asked  Mr.  Bowman  to  accept  the 
deed  of  the  lot  for  the  "  Society  of  Mayflower 
Descendants"  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts, 
as  a  present  from  the  contributors  to  the 
fund  for  the  purchase  of  the  same,  and  added 
that  it  contained  two  conditions,  viz. :  This 
deed  is  given  upon  the  express  condition  that 

said 


37 

said  premises  shall  be  used  by  said  Society 
as  a  memorial  to  Gov.  William  Bradford  and 
his  son,  Major  William  Bradford,  in  such 
manner  as  said  Society  may  think  proper,  and 
for  no  other  purpose. 

And  I  do  hereby  give,  grant,  bargain,  sell 
and  convey  unto  the  town  of  Kingston  the  right 
of  reversion  of  said  premises,  and  in  case  said 
Society  shall  be  dissolved,  I  give,  grant,  bar- 
gain, sell  and  convey  said  premises  to  said  town 
of  Kingston  from  and  after  such  dissolution." 

Mr.  Bowman  then  accepted  the  deed  in 
behalf  of  the  Society,  thanking  the  donors 
and  also  the  grantor  of  the  deed  for  his 
efforts  by  first  suggesting  the  work  and  then 
carrying  it  on  to  its  accomplishment.  He 
promised  that  the  Society  would  have  proper 
care  over  the  grounds  in  the  future. 

A  letter  was  then  read  from  the  governor 
of  the  Society :  — 

Boston,  Sept.  24,  1897. 
Mr.  Thomas  Bradford  Drew. 

My  dear  Sir:  —  Acknowledging  your  kind 
note  of  23  inst.,  I  very  much  regret  that  it 
will  be  impossible  for  me  to  be  present  at 
the  interesting  exercises  on  the  30th.  I  am 
glad  that  the  Society  is  to  receive  such  a 
precious  trust,  and  hope  that  some  day  a 
suitable  memorial  may  be  erected  upon  it. 
Sincerely  yours, 

GAMALIEL  BRADFORD. 

The 


38 

The  exercises  were  closed  with  a  bene- 
diction by  Rev.  C.  J.  De  Normandie,  minister 
of  the  first  Congregational  Society  of  King- 
ston. 

APPENDIX  A. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  whether 
either  of  the  silver  articles  mentioned  in  the 
13th,  14th,  15th,  items  of  Major.  Wm.  Brad- 
ford's will,  on  page  fH-,  are  in  existence  today. 
It  is  possible  that  one  or  more  may  be,  and 
yet  the  possessor,  if  such  be  the  case,  be 
totally  ignorant  of  their  origin ;  for  although 
the  silver  bowl  bequeathed  to  the  son 
David  after  his  mother's  decease,  not  to  be 
alienated  from  the  family  of  Bradford's  "  may 
have  remained  in  the  family  name  for  forty 
years  or  more ;  yet  as  he  died  before  either 
of  his  children  became  of  age,  and  his  widow 
married  Mr.  Ludden,  a  merchant  of  Boston, 
soon  afterward,  there  are  several  ways  in 
which  it  might  have  passed  from  the  family 
name.  The  eldest  son  of  David  was  Nathaniel, 
of  Plymouth,  who  died  in  1757,  and  the  only 
daughter  was  Lydia,  who  married  first  Elka- 
nah  Cushman  and  second  Lazarus  Le  Baron. 
So  here  are  two  families  into  one  of  which 
it  might  have  passed,  and  thus  left  the  name  of 
Bradford.  There  is  now  deposited  in  Pilgrim 
Hall  a  pewter  tankard  and  plate  which  has 
come  down  from  the  days  of  Major  William, 

through 


39 

through  Nathan,  the  youngest  son  of  David. 
They  bear  the  crown  mark  of  William  III., 
of  England,  and  the  Major  was  living  through- 
out the  whole  reign  of  that  sovereign.  The 
silver  wine  cup  which  the  grandson  William 
was  to  have,  may  have  gone  among  the  Brad- 
fords  of  Connecticut,  as  his  descendants  lived 
there. 

APPENDIX  B. 

The  genealogical  question  referred  to  on 
^3  page  is  this :  It  is  recorded  on  the  town 
records  of  Plymouth  that  Ephraim  Bradford 
(son  of  Major  William)  married  Elizabeth 
Bartlett,  Feb.  13,  1710,  and  Fessenden,  ir^  his 
Bradford  Genealogy,  as  well  as  other  writers, 
have  of  course  taken  that  as  authority.  When 
Deacon  Foster,  more  than  twenty  years  ago, 
made  the  statement  that  said  Bradford's  wife 
was  Elizabeth  Brewster,  sister  of  Deacon 
Wrestling  Brewster,  we  reminded  him  of  the 
record  at  Plymouth  and  the  seeming  discrep- 
ancy. He  answered  that  Bradford  might  have 
had  two  wives,  or  that  she  had  previously 
married  a  Bartlett,  and,  in  that  case,  would 
not  have  retained  her  family  name  at  the  time 
of  her  marriage  to  a  second  husband,  but, 
however  that  might  have  been,  he  knew 
that  Elizabeth,  the  sister  of  Deacon  Wrestling 
Brewster,  was  the  wife  of  Ephraim  Bradford, 
and  that  he  had  a  document  wherein  Bradford 

stated 


40 

stated  that  Brewster  was  his  brother-in-law." 
As  the  question  was  brought  up  last  summer 
by  genealogists,  search  was  made  amoug  the 
papers  of  the  late  Deacon  Foster,  and  the 
document,  dated  1734,  was  found  which  con- 
tained the  statement  as  given  above.  As  the 
only  wife  of  Wrestling  Brewster  was  Hannah 
Thomas,  the  relationship  of  brother-in-law 
must  have  come  from  the  other  side.  The 
Plymouth  records  have  been  investigated 
lately,  and  no  Elizabeth  Bartlett  can  be  found 
who  would  have  been  of  suitable  age  to  have 
been  married  in  17 10.  Davis,  in  his  "Ancient 
Landmarks,"  page  21,  has  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Samuel  Bartlett,  as  the  wife  of  Ephraim 
Bradford,  but  the  probate  records  show  that 
she  was  a  child  at  that  time,  while  on  page  32, 
Bradford's  wife  is  given  as  Elizabeth  Brewster. 
As  two  of  his  brothers  and  a  nephew  had  all 
married  Bartletts,  it  is  barely  possible  that 
the  clerk,  in  recording  the  marriage,  repeated 
that  name  instead  of  giving  the  right  one. 
The  same  document  shows  that  Caleb  Stetson, 
the  early  ship-builder  at  Jones  River,  was 
also  brother-in-law  of  Bradford,  and  therefore 
the  statement  in  Winsor's  history  of  Duxbury, 
page  236,  that  said  Stetson  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Deacon  William  Brewster,  should 
be,  Sarah,  daughter  of  Wrestling  Brewster 
and  sister  of  Deacon  Wrestling  Brewster. 
In  the  ancient  burial-ground  at  Kingston  the 

gravestone 


41 

gravestone  of  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Ephraim 
Bradford,  is  still  preserved,  and  the  inscrip- 
tion shows  that  she  died  "  Dec.  5,  1741,  in 
her  51st  yr."  At  the  general  meeting  of  the 
Societies  of  Mayflower  Descendants  at  Plym- 
outh on  the  6th  of  September,  1897,  the  an- 
cient document  to  which  reference  has  been 
made  was  shown  to  several  persons,  and  the 
following  certificate  was  signed. 

"  We  the  undersigned,  hereby  certify,  that 
we  have  seen  the  ancient  document,  dated 
December,  1734,  wherein  Ephraim  Bradford 
states  that  he  was  brother-in-law  of  Wrest- 
ling Brewster  and  Caleb  Stetson." 

WILLIAM  T.  DAVIS, 

Author  of  Ancient  Landmarks. 
GEORGE  ERNEST  BOWMAN, 

Secretary  Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants. 
RICHARD  H.  GREENE, 

Historian  Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants. 

APPENDIX  C. 

The  ancient  lane  referred  to  on  page  3%  !2(o 
led  to  the  Stony  Brook  landing  place,  a  locality 
a  short  distance  below  the  present  iron  works 
there,  and  where  small  vessels  were  built  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Colony.  In  a  deed 
dated  1714,  conveying  property  in  that  vicin- 
ity, it  describes  it  as  being  "  near  to  the  land- 
ing place  where  Caleb  Stetson's  building  yard 

was 


42 

was  wont  to  be."  Many  people  now  living 
remember  the  old  brick-yard  near  the  same 
locality.  It  belonged  to  Joshua  Bradford  (son 
of  Israel)  who  removed  to  Maine  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  and  who  with  his  wife 
Hannah,  the  daughter  of  Elisha  Bradford, 
was  massacred  by  the  Indians  at  Meduncook, 
now  Friendship,  in  that  State,  on  the  27th  of 
May,  1756.  In  Fessenden's  Genealogy,  New 
Eng.  Hist,  and  Gen.  Register,  Vol.  IV.,  pp. 
49  and  236,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  editor's 
notes  accompanying,  which  relate  to  that  bar- 
barous affair,  express  doubts  as  to  the  cor- 
rectness of  some  portions  of  the  genealogical 
part  of  the  story  which  have  come  down  to 
our  day,  and  although  those  notes  were 
written  nearly  fifty  years  ago,  yet  the  same 
doubts  exist  to-day.  Some  of  the  descendants 
of  Joshua  Bradford  claim  that  he  lived  about 
ten  years  in  Maine,  and  that  would  make  the 
time  of  his  removal  from  Kingston  about 
1746 ;  but  the  Kingston  town  records  show 
the  list  of  his  children  covering  all  those 
years  from  1737  to  after  1753,  eight  of  the 
names  to  the  last-named  year  being  perfectly 
legible,  while  two  follow  which  would  carry 
the  dates  along  to  just  about  the  time  when 
the  parents  are  said  to  have  been  killed  by 
the  savages  in  their  new  home.  Anyone  who 
examines  the  notes  referred  to  will  see  that 
this  discrepancy  was  noticed  by  the  editor. 

It 


43 

It  hardly  seems  probable  that  those  names 
would  have  been  entered  upon  the  Kingston 
records  had  not  the  children  been  born  in 
that  town,  yet  it  is  possible  that  some  of  the 
names  might  have  been  recorded  there  after 
the  deaths  of  the  parents.  Records  may  be 
in  existence  at  Friendship,  Me.,  which  would 
show  that  the  massacre  was  not  at  so  early 
a  date  as  1756.  The  French  and  Indian  war 
was  not  really  terminated  until  1763 ;  and  if  it 
can  be  shown  that  the  invasion  of  that  fron- 
tier settlement,  which  cost  the  lives  of  those 
two  members  of  the  Bradford  family,  was  at 
a  later  date  than  that  which  has  heretofore 
been  given,  then  the  doubts  connected  with 
the  previous  accounts  of  that  tragic  event  will 
be  easily  explained. 


